For a first cloud certification in 2026, choose by the platform your employer uses: Microsoft’s AZ-900 ($99, does not expire, free study on Microsoft Learn), AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner ($100, three-year validity, free study on AWS Skill Builder) or Google Cloud Digital Leader ($99). All three are non-technical, take 15–30 hours to prepare for, and are frequently free through vendor voucher programs. We compare them with the associate-level next steps (AZ-104, AWS Solutions Architect Associate, Google Associate Cloud Engineer) and the best Coursera and Udemy prep courses.
Cloud certifications for beginners are the rare credential that non-technical professionals can earn in a month and that hiring managers actually recognise. Finance, procurement, sales and project staff increasingly need to understand cloud pricing, shared responsibility and service models to do their jobs, and the three fundamentals-level exams from Microsoft, Amazon and Google are designed for exactly that audience. This guide compares them by cost, validity and difficulty as of September 2026, explains the free study routes each vendor provides, lists the best paid prep courses on Coursera and Udemy, and shows the associate-level certifications to take next if you want a technical cloud career.
Which cloud certification should a beginner take first?
AZ-900 if your organisation uses Microsoft 365 or Azure (most corporates), AWS Cloud Practitioner if it runs on AWS, Google Cloud Digital Leader if on Google Cloud. All are non-technical and cost about $99–$100.
Can cloud certifications be earned free?
Often: Microsoft Virtual Training Days regularly grant 100% AZ-900 vouchers, and the study paths on Microsoft Learn, AWS Skill Builder and Google Cloud Skills Boost are free.
How long does it take to prepare?
15–30 hours for a fundamentals exam; 80–150 hours for an associate-level exam.
At a glance: the shortlist
| Course | Platform | Price | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) | Microsoft Learn | $99 exam (free vouchers common) | 15–25 h | Corporate Microsoft users |
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02) | Other | $100 exam | 20–30 h | AWS shops |
| Google Cloud Digital Leader | Other | $99 exam | 15–25 h | Google Cloud shops |
| Azure Administrator (AZ-104) | Microsoft Learn | $165 exam | 80–150 h | Technical next step |
| AWS Solutions Architect Associate (SAA-C03) | Other | $150 exam | 100–150 h | Technical next step |
| Google Associate Cloud Engineer | Other | $125 exam | 80–120 h | Technical next step |
| AWS Cloud Technical Essentials / Cloud Practitioner prep | Coursera | Plus or $49/mo | ~20 h | Structured prep |
| AZ-900 / CLF-C02 prep (Udemy, Alan Rodrigues, Stephane Maarek) | Udemy | $12–$20 on sale | 10–15 h each | Exam-focused prep |
How did we compare cloud certifications for beginners?
We compared the three fundamentals exams on cost, validity period, difficulty, recognition in job postings and the quality of the vendor’s free study materials. We then evaluated third-party prep on Coursera and Udemy for currency against the current exam versions (AZ-900 as updated in 2025, CLF-C02, and the 2025 Digital Leader outline), practice-exam quality and price. Finally we mapped the associate-level certifications that follow each fundamentals exam for readers who want a technical path.
Exam prices are the September 2026 list prices in USD; several countries have regional pricing and Microsoft and AWS both run discount and voucher programs that change frequently.
What do beginner cloud certifications cost in 2026?
The three fundamentals exams cost $99 (AZ-900), $100 (AWS Cloud Practitioner) and $99 (Google Cloud Digital Leader). Study materials from the vendors are free: Microsoft Learn’s AZ-900 path, AWS Skill Builder’s Cloud Practitioner Essentials and Google Cloud Skills Boost’s Digital Leader path. Microsoft’s exam vouchers from Virtual Training Days are the most reliable way to take AZ-900 free; AWS offers 50% retake vouchers and periodic promotions; Google offers discounts through Skills Boost challenges.
Paid prep is optional: Udemy courses with practice exams cost $12–$20 on sale and Coursera’s AWS and Google prep courses are included in Coursera Plus. The associate-level exams cost $125–$165 and usually justify a paid course.
The 8 cloud certifications and prep courses compared for 2026
Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900)
| Platform | Microsoft Learn |
| Provider / Instructor | Microsoft |
| Level | Beginner |
| Time to complete | 15–25 hours of free Microsoft Learn modules |
| Price (Sep 2026) | $99 exam; frequent 100% vouchers via Microsoft Virtual Training Days |
| Credential | Azure Fundamentals certification — does not expire |
Why it made the list: Cloud concepts, Azure architecture, services, pricing, governance and security at a business level; the most widely held cloud fundamentals certification and the only one of the three that never needs renewal.
Best for: Anyone in a Microsoft-centric organisation, including finance and procurement staff who manage cloud spend.
AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CLF-C02)
| Platform | Other |
| Provider / Instructor | Amazon Web Services |
| Level | Beginner |
| Time to complete | 20–30 hours; free AWS Skill Builder course (~6 h) plus practice |
| Price (Sep 2026) | $100 exam; valid 3 years |
| Credential | AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner |
Why it made the list: Cloud value, AWS services, security and compliance, and billing and pricing; slightly more detailed than AZ-900 and widely recognised because AWS remains the largest cloud provider.
Best for: Professionals in AWS-based companies and anyone targeting a technical AWS path.
Google Cloud Digital Leader
| Platform | Other |
| Provider / Instructor | Google Cloud |
| Level | Beginner |
| Time to complete | 15–25 hours; free Google Cloud Skills Boost path |
| Price (Sep 2026) | $99 exam; valid 3 years |
| Credential | Google Cloud Digital Leader certification |
Why it made the list: Digital transformation, data and AI on Google Cloud, infrastructure modernisation and security at a business level; the best of the three on AI and data topics, reflecting Google’s positioning.
Best for: Business users in Google Cloud organisations and those focused on data and AI transformation.
Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator Associate (AZ-104)
| Platform | Microsoft Learn |
| Provider / Instructor | Microsoft |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time to complete | 80–150 hours; free Microsoft Learn path plus hands-on labs |
| Price (Sep 2026) | $165 exam; renew annually with a free online assessment |
| Credential | Azure Administrator Associate |
Why it made the list: The standard next step after AZ-900 for a technical role: identities, storage, compute, networking and monitoring with hands-on expectations; renewal is free and online.
Best for: IT staff and career changers targeting Azure administration roles.
AWS Certified Solutions Architect — Associate (SAA-C03)
| Platform | Other |
| Provider / Instructor | Amazon Web Services |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time to complete | 100–150 hours with hands-on practice |
| Price (Sep 2026) | $150 exam; valid 3 years |
| Credential | AWS Certified Solutions Architect – Associate |
Why it made the list: The most-requested cloud certification in job postings worldwide: designing resilient, cost-optimised architectures on AWS; demanding but career-changing for technical candidates.
Best for: Technical professionals who want the single most marketable cloud credential.
Google Associate Cloud Engineer
| Platform | Other |
| Provider / Instructor | Google Cloud |
| Level | Intermediate |
| Time to complete | 80–120 hours with labs |
| Price (Sep 2026) | $125 exam; valid 3 years |
| Credential | Google Cloud Associate Cloud Engineer |
Why it made the list: Deploying and managing Google Cloud resources with hands-on labs in Skills Boost; the technical follow-on to Digital Leader.
Best for: Engineers and administrators in Google Cloud environments.
AWS Cloud Technical Essentials and Cloud Practitioner Essentials
| Platform | Coursera |
| Provider / Instructor | Amazon Web Services on Coursera |
| Level | Beginner |
| Time to complete | ~20 hours |
| Price (Sep 2026) | Included in Coursera Plus; ~$49 standalone or $49/mo specialization |
| Credential | Coursera certificate; prepares for CLF-C02 |
Why it made the list: AWS’s own structured courses on Coursera with graded quizzes and labs; better for learners who want deadlines and a platform certificate than Skill Builder’s self-paced videos.
Best for: Coursera Plus subscribers preparing for the Cloud Practitioner exam.
AZ-900 and AWS Cloud Practitioner exam-prep courses
| Platform | Udemy |
| Provider / Instructor | Alan Rodrigues (AZ-900), Stephane Maarek (CLF-C02) |
| Level | Beginner |
| Time to complete | 10–15 hours each, with practice exams |
| Price (Sep 2026) | List $99.99–$149.99; $12–$20 on sale |
| Credential | Udemy certificate of completion |
Why it made the list: The highest-rated exam-focused prep on Udemy, updated for the current exam versions with timed practice tests that closely mirror the real exams; the fastest way to go from vendor study path to a confident pass.
Best for: Candidates who want practice exams and exam technique for under $20.
AZ-900 or AWS Cloud Practitioner: which is better for a first certification?
Choose by the platform around you. Most corporate environments run Microsoft 365 and increasingly Azure, so AZ-900 is the more useful credential for finance, procurement, HR and project staff, and it never expires. AWS remains the largest provider and the Cloud Practitioner is the better choice if you are targeting technical AWS roles or work in an AWS-based company. Difficulty is similar; AWS’s exam is slightly broader on services and pricing.
There is no penalty for taking both: many professionals hold AZ-900 and CLF-C02, spending roughly $200 and 50 hours in total, and it reads well on a CV in multi-cloud organisations.
Do non-technical professionals really need a cloud certification?
Increasingly yes for anyone who touches cloud spend, contracts or projects. A CFO’s team negotiating an enterprise agreement, a procurement manager comparing providers, a project manager running a migration and a sales professional selling to IT buyers all benefit from the vocabulary and pricing models the fundamentals exams teach. The credential is also a visible signal of technical curiosity in promotion discussions.
Finance teams in particular should understand consumption pricing, reserved capacity and FinOps concepts, which AZ-900 and the AWS Cloud Practitioner cover at exactly the right depth.
How to pass a cloud fundamentals exam in a month
Week one: complete the vendor’s free learning path (Microsoft Learn, AWS Skill Builder or Google Cloud Skills Boost). Week two: take a Udemy prep course at 1.25× speed and note weak areas. Week three: sit three or four timed practice exams and review every wrong answer against the documentation. Week four: book the exam — remote proctoring is available for all three — and review pricing and security topics, where most candidates lose marks.
Register for a Microsoft Virtual Training Day at the start; the voucher usually arrives in time for the exam in week four.
What comes after a fundamentals certification?
For a technical career, AZ-104, AWS Solutions Architect Associate or Google Associate Cloud Engineer, each demanding 80–150 hours and hands-on lab work. For business professionals, adjacent credentials are more useful: Microsoft’s AI-900 (see our guide to generative AI courses for business), a data analytics certificate (see the best data analytics courses) or a FinOps Certified Practitioner credential for cloud cost management. All current options are tracked in the Kurums Courses & Certifications hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which cloud certification is easiest?
AZ-900 and Google Cloud Digital Leader are slightly easier than the AWS Cloud Practitioner, which covers more services; all three are achievable in under a month by non-technical professionals.
Do cloud certifications expire?
AZ-900 does not. AWS Cloud Practitioner and Google Cloud Digital Leader are valid for three years. Associate-level Microsoft certifications renew annually with a free online assessment.
Can I get AZ-900 for free?
Frequently: attend a free Microsoft Virtual Training Day on Azure Fundamentals and Microsoft usually issues a 100% exam voucher within days.
Is the AWS Solutions Architect Associate worth it for beginners?
Only after the Cloud Practitioner and with hands-on practice; it is the most marketable cloud credential but requires 100–150 hours and real console experience.
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